Steven Universe: Plague of Corruption
by Spirit Author
Summary: There was never just one war. (Multiverse Theory) (SUPlague)
1. Outbreak

_The Outbreak_

The war. The multiverse war. The fight against Apocalypse the Destroyer. Yes, the war. That is the story you know. You know it because of the danger it proposed, you know it because there were survivors. However, what you don't know is that…there was never just one war.

Corruption, you've heard of it, you know what it can do. You've seen it ruin lives, corrupt minds. You think it's dangerous, the one you've seen. Well, you've never seen the corruption that I've seen. You've never seen "the plague".

I was an Obsidian, a bat-winged genius male that was working on Homeworld's 'Multiverse Project'. I was the one who built that device and, of course, I was the one who tested it. It was a marvel for them, even in comparison with Homeworld's current feats, one that would surely be forever remembered throughout history. When I did test it though, the device…messed up.

I was ejected from my timeline, sending to one of these other timelines. When I first arrived, I thought that this wouldn't be a problem and that I should have a rather easy time constructing another one. Oh how little I knew. This world, this timeline, an anomaly as they were commonly called, was hell coming to earth.

The Homeworld I was on was nothing like the one I left behind. The great planet was ruined, in shambles, nothing good in its place. That wasn't the worst of it though. When I arrived, what I found were…them, the corrupted. Oh yes, I had seen plenty of corrupted gems in my day, I was the one who built the machine that would cause it, in my timeline at least. But, no matter who made this or how much I understand it, I was never prepared for what I was met with.

The first gem I came across, a Peridot who claimed to be a member of some group called the 'Crystal Gems', I didn't see for anymore than ten minutes before they came. They weren't like most corrupted gems, some of these creatures held something akin to their original form, but all of their bodies were coated in some sort of melting black substance with yellow glowing eyes and mouths. These creatures swarmed us in an instant, taking the Peridot before I had a chance to save her. Then, I saw the real terror of these gems. When they held her, they didn't attack or try to crack her, they held her there, and I watched in pure horror as this Peridot writhed in pain before the black covered her, a new monster emerging from the black cocoon. And I hadn't even seen the half of it.

When I flew away, all I could see from the sky were those things. Everywhere, roaming the streets and buildings, burrowing through the ground, even flying through the air. They were everywhere, and they were hunting for normal gems, which I just so happened to be. I spent who knows how long there, along the way learning that these things were not only more dangerous than the counterparts I knew, but these were organized, the had a system of command that the higher intellect would claim. Above them all, shockingly, was some small boy, his entire body the same black as the rest. I saw him when I had followed the now corrupted Peridot, finding that she was brought to him, joining a circle of five others that were gathered around him. He appeared to lead these things, like some sort of queen to her hive. Even the Diamonds, leaders of Homeworld, became pawns to the creature.

To call this place a living nightmare…would've been an understatement. Calling it like hell would have been an understatement. This place _was_ hell.

I can remember every single day I spent in the wretched timeline, no planet safe from swarms of gems. Even Earth, the planet that so boldly protected itself from Homeworld, had fallen. There were no humans or any type of organic life on it anymore. All that was left were the gems, the plague. Even space became a cesspool of activity, any with wings swarming the skies.

Finally, one day, when I had returned to the corrupted Homeworld with the intention of accepting my fate and joining this otherworldly army, I remembered something. That something I remembered was the very device that brought me here. So, of course I thought, why can't it take me away. Of course, the one I made was gone, left behind in the timeline I came from, but this universe was still one with a Homeworld, and it surely had the parts I needed to leave the place. Now, I could drone on about how I was wrong, or some epic journey or adventure I took while learning some life lessons along the way, but then I would be lying. I wasn't wrong. I didn't have to travel far. It was so simple I finished overnight. Exact same way I made the first. I didn't worry about fixing it anymore than I had the other one, my mind simply wanted to escape, to leave this place. So, I did. I activated it, the portal dragged me through, I was free. My home timeline wasn't on the other side, but I didn't care, I wasn't in that horrifying place anymore. And there was nothing that would happen to change that.

…What a fool I was. I didn't worry after I was free. I didn't think about the sane gems still there suffering, if I had seen them I would've helped them, but since I didn't I had a clean conscience. I didn't think about what I had done there, the little orb I left on the ground. I didn't think about the smart little brat leading the corrupted troops. I didn't think about what would happen. I didn't connect the dots. I didn't think that I would be the one who singlehandedly let the monsters out.

* * *

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Hello readers. So, I just wanted to go on and say that this is not a story I am actually making. I'm hoping this will be a story that_ _ **we**_ _will be making. And not just across one story, I would like to see this across multiple stories by multiple people, if you want to that is. While the 'Infinite Skies' story is something that I have to be careful with because of all the characters within it and how I can't have anything contradicting anything else in the story (because then it would be an AU of the multiverse, blah, blah, blah, science that I won't bore you with). However, I intentionally put as few characters as I could in this intro, simply showing the one who started the whole mess and the monster's leaders, that way there was nothing to contradict anything else. So, now we can build this side of the multiverse together. Of course, there will have to be some rules of you do decide to join the Plague._

 _So, first things first, in order for this to work, there will need to be some sort of communication between the authors so as to not have contradicting storylines. Do your research, look to see if what you're doing would contradict what anyone else is doing. If you're doing a survival story of someone from the Plague's origins, make sure that the actions and/or events taken will not contradict that of someone who came first (first come, first serve on that front, sorry). And not just on this site. Fanfiction, Archive of Our Own, Wattpad, Deviantart, Tumblr, everyone participating on any site will have to interact to make this possible. As such, to make your Plague story easy to find among others, please put 'SUPlague' in your story's summary (or tags if you're doing it on Archive of Our Own or Wattpad)._

 _Next, no war changers…yet. We can't have a widespread cure, a way to instantaneously kill off every one in a timeline, we just can't have a way to end it all yet. It's simply not something that we can do. You can have a person or group of people keeping them from swarming a particular timeline and succeeding, but you can't just have your character be overpowered and have no challenge in it or have the timeline completely overrun by them one moment and the next have a single character just wipe every one of them out without any struggle. You can even give your characters a happy ending by finding a way to seal off your timeline from the rest, keeping them out indefinitely (we should probably all communicate as to the science behind such a device), but we can't give the ultimate happy ending for the entire multiverse, otherwise you've ended the story for everyone else. Essentially, no god mode (Did I say that right?)._

 _On a side note, don't kill the Obsidian here, the circle of six, or the leader. In fact, don't include them or this Obsidian yet until I actually come up with a set design for them. Because they are very important._

 _No real backstory as to why the Plague gems are the way they are. I'm currently working on it all and it's probably going to be one of the things talked about in this work. (PLUS I CALL DIBS!_ XP _)_

 _Next, no interactions with any of the characters in 'Infinite Skies' or anything that would effect storyline of that story in any way. Yes, Infinite Skies exists in the multiverse too, but the story for that is already set and is a project that sadly can not be included in this. Infinite Skies has too many characters and too much story already in it, they just can't interact. Explanation for this, their sectors in the multiverse are_ _ **extremely**_ _far from each other._

 _No ship discrimination. Sure, if you only had one timeline or a few others involved, it would make sense you would probably only see one of a certain type of relationship. However, if you have a really large group of timelines, you're bound to have a few differences. Not going to be really strict about this, but just something I would like you to think about. No shipscrimination._

 _Permission. It doesn't matter if it's just a timeline that is the same type as one that appears in another timeline, if it came from them, you need to ask their permission. Same goes for if you plan to have something happen in your story that effects or was effected by the actions of someone else's character._

 _Please check this 'story' periodically. There will probably be some sort of update to it and maybe another monologue from the Obsidian who released the plague._

 _Respect. Seriously, please respect everyone._

 _Remember, communication is key if this is going to work. Please talk to one one another and tell me. Have fun!_


	2. Where the Corruption Began

_Where Corruption Began_

A distorted scream echoes through the cave. The sound is unbearable for those listening, those watching what was happening. Everyone there watching the transformation felt nothing but desire in that moment, desire to take his place.

The black ooze-covered beast slowly rising to its feet.

They all loved him so dearly, why did it have to be him?

It looks at the rest of the group, sclera yellow with black pupils, an animalistic look in them.

Of all the gems, why did it have to be _him_?

The beast let out a roar before charging forward, all but one able to move, the young gem having no will to do so after seeing what her only friend had become.

Was this some sort of punishment, one that was being inflicted because they hadn't appreciated him enough?

The rest of the team watched in horror as their comrade, one they wouldn't exactly call a friend, but one they respected because of her caring for him, was wrapped in the black liquid, her body melting into a puddle, the only thing still solid being her blue gem.

This had to be a nightmare, a bad dream, something they would wake up from.

The puddle slowly began to shift and take shape, the team gasping in terror as it formed into a black, melting version of their comrade, her entire body made of the black liquid and her eyes, yellow and almost looking as if it was melting to her cheek.


	3. Always Time to Shop

_There's Always Time to Shop_

I heaved a deep sigh, falling to the ground. "That was a doozy." I say. I looked over to my companion, a young human with a head shaped like…well, an onion. "But we made it."

The young human smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

I didn't know what his name was. He never spoke. All he ever did was act. Due to his apparent inability to communicate using speech, I simply called him 'Onion'. I know, I know, who in their right mind would ever name someone Onion? Still, it was the best choice, at least in comparison to just calling him 'human'.

Yes, I owed my life to this human. I met him back in a different timeline.

I had been hopping through to different universes, trying as hard as I could to escape from the plague. I eventually came to a very peculiar one. Did you know there's a type of timeline with a Lapis Lazuli that can summon a machine gun, an actual freaking machine gun! And, she wasn't friendly in any sense of the word either. She was bent on killing me from the start, and that was _before_ the plague claimed her. Next thing I knew, I was dealing with a monster who could _shoot_ the plague at me, and she could do it quickly. I thought I was a goner.

Thankfully, I was saved by my current companion. To make a long story short, the kid makes great use of a harpoon.

It wasn't long after that the monsters swarmed that timeline too, forcing me to continue my search for some sort of safe haven. Though this time I didn't leave alone. For the first time since I had left my home timeline, I had a companion. And this companion wasn't just someone I was working with, like on Homeworld. No, this was something more than that. He was someone I could and would call a friend.

We traveled for quite a bit, eventually finding our most recent timeline, some place where the residents were successfully fighting back, one where there were actually a few other refugees. They were even on the verge of developing a cure for the plague. I had thought that we'd finally found some semblance of hope in this mess I caused, some sort of light within the darkness. Oh how wrong I was.

It started as a single gem being caught off guard, then another, then another, until finally it evolved into another hive for the plague. Onion and I barely made it out…and many others didn't.

Now though, we were still here, we still had our lives.

I turned my head to the boy as I heard his stomach give a grumble.

I sighed, looking to a knapsack I had, nothing other than a few tool and half built machines within. "Guess we better go get you some food, huh?"

Onion's expression soured.

I smirked. "Where there's food, there's Guacola." I sang.

Onion was on his feet in a second, making me chuckle at the sudden eagerness and energy he held.

Ah, Guacola. I hated everything about ingesting that stuff, but it quickly became a tool I used to get my stubborn little companion to do the things he needed to do to survive. All in all, he was rather compliant about most things, except when it came to food. After a few timeline jumps, I became very concerned for his health. Humans needed nutrients from food to survive and my Onion wasn't getting any. Then came the day we stumbled upon a treat that he had some odd love of, Guacola. And that very drink, that weird, slimy green liquid that hardened in my throat and almost destroyed my physical form the one time I tried it, became the tool I used to get him to do what he needed.

"Alright, let's get a move on." I said, standing up and stretching. "We better hurry if we want to stay ahead of the plague."

Onion didn't hesitate, jumping immediately on my back. I smiled, my bat wings gently spreading out from my back. With a powerful flap, we were off.

I smiled as I felt the wind against my face, chuckling as I felt my little companion's hold on me tighter. With the assurance that he was secured, I began to fly even faster. I felt pleasure at my reward for doing so, a little laugh. It was the most beautiful noise I had ever heard, his laughter. It was something I looked forward to, something I strived for. In all the darkness, through all the hardships, his laughter was one of the things that kept me going, it was something that, to me at least, banished the darkness for a few brief moments.

As I was enjoying his laughter, Onion was still searching for the location of his prize. He poked my shoulder and pointed in the direction of our desired location, the one place that had it. It was the one place that sold it, some wall themed mart (I don't get it either) from which humans could purchase goods. In truth, the store itself didn't actually sell the product Onion wanted (or walls for that matter). In fact, they were pretty adamant about keeping it out, at least in every timeline he had seen. The actual person selling it was tall, skinny, bald human in some very shiny transportation vehicle. He always seemed happy about someone actually purchasing his drink, which made me happy…until he would end smiling which temporarily blinded me.

I descended to the ground, Onion hopping off. I was beginning to go into the store, only for Onion to grab my hand and point in the direction of the van.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I put my hand up to the obsidian gem on my forehead, pulling out some of the green paper these humans used as currency from the rock. "but don't drink it all before I get out because I'm not giving you anymore of this stuff."

Onion nodded happily, accepting the green paper before bolting off to the car.

Human currency was something I began to collect after I gained my companion, giving us a way to purchase the organic matter he needed. It was rather easy to find. Onion showed me this great place that just had a whole bunch of it just sitting around, something called a "bank". You know, for a bunch of people not using it, they get pretty mad whenever you take it from them. It's much easier to do right before we leave to go to another timeline.

I smiled in Onion's direction before turning to the store, stretching my arms and my bat wing out before folding the black and gray wings back into my back, the wings turning into what humans call a 'tattoo' on my back. I casually made my way into the store, vaguely aware of the humans giving me odd stares. I didn't pay them any mind. For one thing, this was perfectly normal whenever we arrived to the area, no matter the timeline. For another, I knew good and well that their opinions didn't matter; they were going to be dead anyway when the plague arrived.

Oh yea, finally made a good version of my device. Finally, now I can go from one timeline to another without having to lurk around and hunt for pieces again. Hopefully, I can hop far away from this plague now…though, it doesn't look to positive for me. Everywhere I go, it looks like the plague is one step ahead of me. Oh well, at least that helps me understand it a little better, helps give me something to think about other than how I might die.


End file.
